MESSAGE BY PRIME MINISTER OF PAKISTAN MUHAMMAD NAWAZ SHARIF, ON KASHMIR SOLIDARITY DAY 5 FEBRUARY 2017

For the last seven decades India has denied the valiant people of Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir the right to self-determination promised to them by the international community through numerous UN Security Council resolutions. The people of Pakistan join their Kashmiri brothers and sisters in observing Kashmir Solidarity Day today to reaffirm our moral, diplomatic and political support to the legitimate struggle of the Kashmiri people for their basic human rights, especially the right to self determination enshrined in the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

The Jammu & Kashmir dispute is the unfinished agenda of Partition and remains one of the oldest disputes in the UN Security Council. Pakistan strongly condemns the systemic state terrorism and brutal killings of the innocent people of IoK by Indian occupation forces. Use of pellet guns has permanently blinded more than 150 people including women and young children. The basic human rights of the innocent people of IoK, including the right to life and peaceful assembly have been grossly violated by Indian occupation forces. Senior Hurriyat leadership has been arrested or placed under house detention. Within the last few months, around 12,000 people were illegally detained without any charges.

The valiant, resolute and determined people of Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir have rendered unmatched sacrifices in their just struggle. However, all the Indian brutalities have failed to deter the people of IoK from their cause for freedom from Indian subjugation. The people of Pakistan and the international community have utmost respect for the people of Indian occupied Jammu & Kashmir for their unparalleled courage, bravery and persistence in facing the worst kind of state terrorism, human rights abuses, violence and suppression by the Indian state. I salute the sacrifices of the brave and courageous Kashmiri people and reaffirm our firm commitment to Pakistan’s principled stance on Jammu and Kashmir.

Pakistan calls upon the international community to raise its voice in seeking an end to the gross violations of human rights and the reign of terror unleashed by Indian occupation forces in IoK and fulfill the promises it made with the people of Jammu & Kashmir 70 years ago.

Jammu & Kashmir is the core dispute between Pakistan and India. The dream of peace and prosperity of the people of this region will remain elusive without resolving this dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions. We urge India to stop bloodbath in occupied Jammu & Kashmir and allow the holding of free and fair plebiscite under the UN auspices.